English listening practice – The Teacher Joseph Sound Archive

Neil McTaggart’s Crossing (1): A Story of 1920s Scottish Emigration to Canada (Podcast 1093)

A story of departure – Scotland, 1927
By Joseph McTaggart

Neil McTaggart stood at the harbour, hands deep in his coat pockets, watching the steamship as it groaned and shifted in the water. He was eighteen years old, broad-shouldered and sharp-eyed, with fingers that looked older than the rest of him.

His boots were worn. His suitcase was heavy. But it wasn’t just the weight of his belongings that slowed his steps. It was something harder to carry — the knowledge that he was leaving everything behind.

1084 British Food Explained: Why Is It So Bad?

Let’s be honest: British food doesn’t have the best reputation. Around the world, people make jokes about it—and often, those jokes are true. In the UK, we eat a lot of boring, brown food. We also have strange habits when it comes to meals. And worst of all? Most of us don’t even realise there’s a problem. We think we’re doing fine.